On November 6th we held our 2nd Alarm Chili Cook-Off! It was a great evening of beer and wine tasting, live music, cool cars and smoking hot chili! A big thank you to everyone who came out to show their support and congratulations to the 2nd Alarm Chili Cook-Off Champion… The Guajillo Beaners!!!

I’m sure that all of you are aware of how bad this fire season has been, especially for us here in Northern and Central California.  It’s been a difficult time for both firefighters and civilians.  Unfortunately, many of our firefighters who are away from their families for long periods of time fighting these fires, also get hurt and have to deal with the aftermath of serious injuries.

In order to help our brothers and sisters in need, the Firefighters Burn Institute started a new program called the Liaison Response Team (LRT) nearly 5 years ago. LRT is made up of firefighters whose mission is to provide assistance to firefighters, their families and their department in the aftermath of a burn injury.  LRT members are dedicated to the wellbeing and recovery of their fellow firefighters and understand the importance of help and emotional support during critical times.  The LRT also ensures the firefighter’s family is taken care of through meals, housing or by making other special arrangements.  The Firefighters Burn Institute provides resources to also assist with post recovery including PTSD treatment, burn injured firefighter support groups and funding to send the firefighter(s) to burn survivor support conferences.

Due to increased fire activity this season, this year has been especially rough for our firefighters and we have already surpassed our budget for the LRT program.  We try to support the families of our burn injured firefighters as best as we can. You are the reason that we are able to offer the programs and services that we do!  We absolutely could not do it without all of our wonderful volunteers and donors.  With your help we have been able to offer unwavering support to our firefighters and to their families in their time of need.  Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Jim Doucette,
Executive Director, Firefighters Burn Institute
Retired Captain, Sacramento Fire Department

The Firefighters Burn Institute sponsored 21 participants to attend the 2015 World Burn Congress in Indianapolis, IN. This group included burn survivors like Dwight (pictured above left), caretakers, medical staff from Shriners Hospital and UC Davis Medical Center and FFBI staff, who spent the weekend of October 21-25 enjoying the Indy culture and learning valuable skills at conference workshops.

World Burn Congress is a healing experience for burn survivors. 900 burn survivors from across the nation and around the world gathered in Indy to celebrate their burns, share their stories, and find support.  The workshops and burn support groups found at World Burn provide burn survivors with the resources to continue their recovery and empower them to help others in crisis. The Firefighters Burn Institute is proud to be able to provide scholarships for burn survivors to participate in this life-changing conference each year.

For more information on World Burn Congress and how to apply for a scholarship, please contact Ka Vue at 916-739-8525.

It’s not too early to sign up to volunteer and "Shake your Boot" at the 2016 Firefighters “Fill the Boot for Burns” Boot Drive!

The Firefighters Burn Institute will hold its annual Boot Drive fundraiser on President’s Day Weekend, February 11th-14th, 2016 in conjunction with National Burn Awareness Week. This annual fundraiser is the single most important source of donations for the Firefighters Burn Institute. Dozens of burn recovery, education, prevention, scholarship and burn care programs depend on the success of the annual “Fill the Boot for Burns” Boot Drive event.  With your help, 2016 will be another record year for donations.  Every hour of your volunteer time is greatly appreciated!

For more information or to volunteer at the 2016 Firefighters “Fill the Boot for Burns” Boot Drive please contact Rachel Crowell at (916) 739-8525!

The Fire Prevention Week theme this year was reminding everyone to make sure they have WORKING Smoke Alarms in every room.

As you can see for yourself in this awesome infographic, families need to install smoke alarms:

• In every bedroom
• Outside each separate sleeping area
• On every level of the home, including basement

According to NFPA, a home that has working smoke alarms reduces the chances of dying in a fire by half. Half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. A working smoke alarm alerts people and can give them enough time to get out. Be sure to test your Smoke Alarms once a month. (Source)